Buzz grows around NY Cardinal Timothy Dolan for pope

He may have made light of the suggestion on Wednesday, but there are some in Italy who see the head of the Archdiocese of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, as a real contender to replace Pope Benedict XVI.

The Italian paper La Repubblica reported the powerful cardinal Tarcisio Bertone is “working behind the scenes to advance Dolan’s chances in the upcoming conclave,” according to a report by CBS New York. Another name being tossed in the mix is Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston.

“You know, listen, all the cardinals are really embarrassed to talk about that, and we’d be uncomfortable talking about it, so I’ll leave it at that,” Dolan said.

Dolan will be in Rome when Benedict leaves office and is reported to lead an American group of 10 other cardinals to the conclave, a contingency considered second only to the Italians.